Living on Tulare Time

I’m going to put down a few thoughts from the World Ag Expo. It’s tough to evaluate a show like the one I just came back from. It was located in Tulare California and is billed as the “World’s Largest Annual Outdoor Agriculture Expo”. I’ve not been overseas to any trade shows, but I guess the qualifiers of “annual” and “outdoor” may have something to do about the claim.

We took out three new trailers; the Detachable Flatbed, the 35’ Hydraulic Dovetail Flatbed and the well-received 36’ Slide/Tilt Flatbed. Although the agriculture market has not been booming recently, I was pleased with the interest in our new trailers. The public approval of our new trailers is a testament to our incredibly talented staff; Jason Stika (Shop Foreman), Mike Stika (Sales Manager), David Rudolph and Scot Steward (Lead Welders).

Even at a great show, there are times where there is not much to do but stand around and watch the people go by. It is in these slower times that my mind wanders off into silly dimensions. A couple years back I thought of that song “Living on Tulsa Time”, (written by Eric Clapton and made popular by Don Williams). I decided I would re-work the lyrics and call it “Living on Trade Show Time”. If you like, you can read/sing this while thinking of a guy miles from home, attending a trade show.

Well I left Durham Kansas, drivin' my Dodge pickupPulling my life savings behindHad a briefcase full of mailers

I was goin' to show my trailersAll polished up and lookin’ fine.

Sometimes it drives me crazy, but no one says I’m lazyI was gonna show 'em all this time'Cause you know I got a big debtBut the bank ain’t called my note yetA close eye on the bottom line.

Livin' on Trade Show timeLivin' on Trade Show timeWell, you know there ain’t much to it

And I better start to do itLivin' on Trade Show Time.

At shows there’s lots of walkin, for salesmen; lots of talking

Watchin people strolling by

For most it’s only gawkin’, but here I am a hawkin

Trying to catch somebody’s eye

Only one in twenty sees ya, maybe one in fifty smiles

Noticing the gleaming steel

But that one that has the big hat, and the billfold looking real fat

Might help me earn an evening meal

Sometimes it can be busy, sometimes near deathly slow,

Minutes seem to stretch like hours

But the reason we are here, and just let me make this clear

We’re building our own ivory towers

The show is finally over, it’s time to tear it down

Three days can sometimes feel like ten

But sales went like a rocket, I got orders in my pocket

Next year you’ll see me here, again

Livin' on Trade Show timeLivin' on Trade Show timeWell, it takes a lot to do it

But I’ll keep on keepin to itLivin' on Trade Show Time.

Well, enough foolishness, I better start ordering materials to build some more trailers. Feel free to call me up and order one for yourself. I obviously will not make it as a songwriter!